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Help MAGPAS say women whose lives were saved

A Thorney woman is asking people to get behind a fund-raising campaign for MAGPAS, the charity which aims to provide specialist medical help to assist NHS ambulances at accidents.

Louise Cade wants people to support Rebekha Cheshire, who is doing a five-kilometre run this weekend in aid of MAGPAS.

The two young women were both treated by Thorney doctors supported by the charity after being involved in dreadful accidents in the village.

Louise was just eight when she and her sister Sally were hit by a car crossing the road from the school bus.

She takes up the story: “Our three local doctors (Dr Nick Jackson, Dr Andrew Knights and Dr Simon Richards) all volunteered for MAGPAS and were on the scene, followed by two ambulances. Sally and I were taken to hospital and doctors were unsure if we were able to make it through the night.

“After much fighting Sally passed away but her memory lives on! I also passed away but came back, although my parents were told I would probably not walk and talk in the same way again. This has never held me back.

“At Sally’s funeral my family decided to ask people not to bring flowers but to donate money to MAGPAS to help buy live-saving equipment to help others. The money that was raised meant MAGPAS could buy more equipment to help others and indeed it did.”

Fund-raising T-shirt produced by Louise in memory of her sister Sally

The following year Rebekha Cheshire, then just two years old, was seriously injured when her mum’s car crashed just outside Thorney.

“I had a severe head injury and I was not expected to survive. My mum was later told that I had suffered two severe bleeds in my brain, and that in the ambulance on the way to hospital my heart had stopped beating twice,” said Rebekha.

“It was two local GPs – Dr Jackson and Dr Knights – volunteering for MAGPAS that day that came out to the accident and saved my life – twice!

“The money that was raised by the Cade family was used to buy a piece of equipment that was used to save my life, so fund-raising really does make a difference.”

Rebekha came out of intensive care on Christmas Day 1994 and spent another two months in hospital. She had to learn how to do everything all over again: talking, walking, eating …

“Twenty years on, I am now 23 and I live an independent life and am proud to say I also have my very own job volunteering at a playgroup. I would not have been able to achieve any of this without the help of my family, friends and two amazing support workers, and of course the two incredible doctors that came to help me that day.

“All MAGPAS staff are volunteers and without their help I would not be here today. So I want to do this run to help raise money so that they can continue doing excellent work in helping people like me.”

Louise said: “Please sponsor her so we have help to save more lives and support our volunteer doctors.”

Rebekha will be running the 5K fun run at Stanwick Lakes on Sunday, June 14. She is hoping to raise £1,250. If you would like to support her, money can be donated online via her Just Giving page. Go to: https://www.justgiving.com/Rebekah-Cheshire/

Rebekha is pictured at a MAGPAS fund-raising event last month next to retired Thorney GP, Dr Nick Jackson, who helped save her life 20 years ago.